Bbeech loading gun



(No Model.) 11 Sheets-Sheet. 1.

0. S. LOTT. BREEUH LOADING GUN.

, Patented 0013.31, 1893.

11 SheetsSheet 2.

No Model.) 0 S LOTT BREEGH LOADING GUN.

Patented Oct. 31,1893.

(No Model.)

0. S. LOTT. 121135011 LOADING GUN.

Patenisafi 001:. 31, 18 93.

l1 Sheets-Sheet 3.

O. S. LOTT. BREEGH LOADING GUN.

11 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

(No Model.)

0. S. LOTT. BREEG'H LOADING GUN.

Patented Oct. 31,1893.

' l1 Sheets-Sneet 5 1 T T O L S C (No Model.)

BREEGH LOADINGGUN.

No. 507,823. Patented 001;. 3.1893.

(No Model) 0 S BREEGH LOADING GUN.

Patented 00 1:

(No Model.) 11 Sheets Sheet 8.

U. S. LOTT. Y BREEGH. LOADING GUN.

Patqntd Oct. 31, 1893.

(E0 Hddel.) 11 Sheets-Sheet 9. O. S. LOTT. BREE-"OH LOADING GUN. 11%- Patented O0"L.ol, 1893.

l 7 ll No Model.

11 Sheets-Sheet 10.. C. S. LOTT. BREEUH LOADING GUN.

N0. 507,82 Patented Oct. 31, 1893.

(No Model.) 0 S LOTT 11 Sheet sSheet 11. BREEGH LOADING GUN.

No. 507,823. Patented 0013.893.

f, w wlwwm E'WART LOT! @rr t.

Era

BREECH=LQADENG eon.

SPECIFICATION i'ormingpart of Letters Patent No. 507,323, dated October 31, 1893. Application filed 'May 3,1892. {BEHIND-131,659, (No model.) Patented in England July 27,1891,Nol1Z,746.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES STEWART LOTT, accountant, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Small-Arms, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 11?,7-16, hearing date July 27, 1891,) of which the following is aspecitication, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in breeclnioa-ding arms and more especially to repeating small-arms. The mechanism is of a strong and simple type not liable to derangement by wear or by rough usage. It may be adapted to the requirements of a magazine arm or of a single loader. I prefer, however, to use it with cartridge magazine of \the Lee type which may be rapidly inserted in or removed from its place in the arm. The said invention ishereiu described by way of example in its applications to sporting guns and to pistols.

According to my invention 1 provide a breech bolt which carries the firing pin and the extractor and travels backward and forward in the axial line of the barrel for the purpose of opening the breech, extracting the spent cartridgecoching the ham mer,pushing fresh cartridge into the breech and closing the breech. I provide also a locking piece which is automatically operated to lock the breech bolt, to prevent the latter from recoiliug when subjected to the force arising from the explosion of a charge. When the said mechanism is applied to a sporting gun, it is operated by a sliding block adapted to move to and fro on or in guides provided on the barrel in such a position that the said sliding block can be conveniently grasped and operated by the hand that supports the barrel. Pistols to which the said mechanism is applied maybe operated by one hand for in sucha case I substitute for the sliding block hereinbefore referred to, a thumb lever arranged as hereinafter explained to beoperated by the hand which grasps the stock of the pistol.

In order that the nature of my said invention may be readily understood 1 will now proceed to describe the same with ref rence to the accompanying drawings in whi Figure l is aside elevation of a sporting gun constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation somewhat similar to Fig. 1 but with the mechanism exposed, the

breech bolt in its rearmost position, and the hammer cocked. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but with the breech closed, the ham mer remaining cocked. Fig. 4; is a central longitudinal section of Fig. 2 certain of the parts being left iii-elevation. Fig. i, is a perspective view to a large scale, of lockingpiece forming part of the weapon illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. Fig. d is an elevation of the exterior of the said locking-piece, apart from the weapon. Fig. 4, is a perspective view of a lever J forming part of the said weapon. Fig. 5 is a side view of a pistol constructed according to this invention. Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal section of Fig. 5 viewed from the opposite side. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. (i but with the locking piece lowered from behind the breech bolt. Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 7 showing the breech bolt in its rearmostpositiomand the hammercoekcd. Fig. 9 is a View similar to Fig. E showing the relative positions of the parts when the breech bolt has closed the breech and the hammer is cocked in readiness to be released by the trigger; Fig. 9, is an exterior view of the pistol illustrated in- Figs. 5, 6, 7, S and 9, with the thumb-lever removed, in order that the shape ,of a slot in the wall of the breech frame may be clearly seen. Fig. .0 is side View partly in section, showing an alternative arrangement of certain parts of the pistol according to thisnveution.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

\Vith reference first to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 A is the stock or butt. B is the barrel. B is the breech shoe or frame. C is a tubular guide the end G'of which is received. in a socket formed in the breech frame, and the opposite end of which is held in the lug B on the barrel and secured in place by the screw plug B and look not B". l) is a block which slides upon the guide (3 and is prevented from rotatiugtherenpon by means of a. tongue piece 1) projecting from the block into a slot 0 in the guide. The said block D is connected by the link E to the breech bolt F. The said link is formed in one piece with a screw E by means of which it is secured. to uhe biocl; D, Elie ocii screw being so that r; on H isio piece enci lying parallel wii-lz l B, the friction set up by screwing; e sci e into ihe ii'iock 5 suificienily fer "it-o ie link into that position suffices :o m? r= it in t c.) said posi' tic]: Without ti 1 any other factoning. o ore-3c 'ilfili is. iiol'iow and moves iong naiiy in e tubular guide G formed in the of breech frame. Th said guide i.. slotted at G to permit the entry of pin pcrpcee liereiocfier plaiceol. Within the breech bob: is the firing pix. H which is free to move QBfiWiSG therein when impelied forward by the hammer but at other times is retained in its reermosi. poeiiion i the lio'lt the H which rem-ice tire fl'aiilf" in egarinsfi the collar d formeo tee-recs.

The Loo firingpin extends through the p mg I" am? Uh-c rear of breech ii-oi. sioi-ied or coin-11cc F to permit the .iicml of the hammer to fibiiaii eccessio the heeui of hire firing Upon the side of the breech bolt is a slot 23 which in the present example is in the extractor E which is scour-e l upon the side of the heir. The bar rel-end is recessed to take the rim of the cartridge and is notched in the usual manner to allow the cartridge co be forced home in the chamber while the extractor is in engagement with the rim. v

The orceclrbolt is grooved to pass over a stud I placed in the side of the breech-slice. The groove is situated at opposite ]of the bolt to that upon which .the extractor is placed. the acid stud is, for the purpose in the ejection of the spent 621K- firigce in the [cancer hereinafter deco beii.

The limit ie gircviiie. at its with a pin E and with. a. notch having an inclined com ecrfece Said pic engages with the slot if formed in ilie extractor and par ailel wiiirthe of movement of block D. ever J pivoted to the breech frame is provided .Wiill rejection 5 adapted to be ted upon by the surface E and is provide-ti with a pin J to it to em gage with the locking piece K. .The said locking which is an important feature of my ime ion slides vertically ingi esin the breech cess K in which the he. ruler enters as shown in Fig. i. in the outer face of one side Wall of the iocking giiece is a sio'b K which receives the said pin J on the lever J. Upon of Lire inner relis of the locking piece is a. recces K in which pawl L is pivotcd so to be able ioaoscilieteiherein. In the said recess and behind the pawl is a spring M by which a constant pressure upon the pawl is mainlained, to keep it at one of the extremes of its travel which, in the direction in which. ii. forced by the spring, is limited by the Sladfifif the recess, so that the pawl can be 'oy-tlie hammer hereinafter decore, and provided with a. re-

scribed,but cannot be moved farther forward thaotne position in which it is shown in the drawings. v

I? is the hammer which turns between the cheek plates of the breech frame upon the pin N. The said hammer is provided with a seer notch N with which notch the pawl L is upon the hammer and the other upon the trigger.

Q is a spring which maintains an upward pressure, upon the locking piece K.

R a cover plete for the mechanism With.- in rile breech It is secure-6. to the oreeeh frame by the screw R about which it may be turned into the position in which it.

shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to expose the said mechanism.

S, isa spring secured to the cover plate, and

mlapiedfo engage with a. recess formed in the projection T upon the breech frame, when the free end of the plate R is put; into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1 in order to cover the said mechanism. The said spring may be readily depressed by hand to disengage it from the said recess when it is desired that the cover plate should be moved to remove the bolt to enable the barrel to be cleaned from the breech. I

U is the magazine of the ordinary Lee ype. The said i'negazine is inserted between guides provided in the body of the Weapon for its reception, and is so placed that the cartridges will be fed successively therefrom into the berrel in the Well-known manner. To prevent accidental (iisplecemcnt of the magazine the end thereof is provided with a means of which the coring may be retracted so that lie magazine may lie easily Wilhdrewn.

It is obvious that with sporting guns c0netructed according to my invention as exemplified by the foregoing description very rapid firing can be obteinmLquite as rapid as with a double lmrreled we where the finger has to be moved from one trigger to another, and the gun having only one barrel is more con.- venienl; than he ordinary double barreleii gun.

Vith reference now to Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 which il ustrate the application of my invention to a. pistol, the arrangement of mechanism Within the breech frame thereof is similar to that described with reference to To permit of the witl'h the sporting gun but the breech bolt and locking-piece are arran ed to be operated by a lever as will now be c: JitlllBti.

It is an important feature of pistols constructcd according to my invention that the whole of the mechanism of the weapon, comprising means for cooking the firing hammer, for inserting a cartridge in the barrel, for releasing the liring hammer, for extracting and ejecting the spent cartridge and including the safety locking piece, can be manipulated by one hand of the operator. The trigger is conveniently controlled by the forefinger, while the thumb is used to operate a lever by which the rest of ihemeohanism is worked in the manner now to be described.

The breech bolt is hollow, and titted at its forward end with an extractor, and contains a firing pin adapted to impinge upon the cartridge in the barrel and to have a certain slight amount of free longitudinal motion within the breech bolt. The under side of the breech bolt is slotted longitudinally at F and is beveled at a as shown and is cutaway at a. The groove or slot allords an opening through which the hammer may act upon the firing pin, and the portion cut away at d pr0- vidcs a recess which receives the head of the locking piece. Upon the top side of the breech bolt at its rear end is a projection to form a push piece 1 upon which the thumb of the user pfithe weapon may bear when the breech bolt is" operated in the manner hereinafter explained. A projection in upon the breech bolt extends to the exterior of the weapon through a longitudinal slot G formed in one of the check plates of the breech frame. A stud 11 attached to the firing pin projects through the said slot F The firing pin is drawn back as thcbrccch bolt moves forward, by the stud H which is dragged over the upper end of the pltte rlhcrcinafter referred to, so that the said ti ring pin does not protrude from the front end of the breech bolt and obstruct the proper rising of the cartridge from the magazine into engagement with the extractor. The said stud ii also serves to retain the firing pin in the bolt. piece is guided by and between the plate d, and a guide e which is formed upon the in terior of the breech frame. The plated is provided with a toe d and is thereby retained in place in the breech frame against the upward pressure of one end of a spring Q which is supported bya pin in the breech frame and permits the said plate to descend slightly as the stud ll passes over its upper end, returning the plate (Z to the normal position as soon as the stud ll is clear of it. The other end of the said spring maintains an upward pressure upon the locking piece K. Upon one side of the locking piece K is a recess li in which is placed a pawl L which has a pivot formed in one piece therewith and entering a hole formed in the wall of the recess so that the pawl may have a limited amount of oscillation in the said recess. In the same recess lhe locking behind the pawl aspring M is inserted which tends to keep the detent always in the position in which it is shown in the drawings. Upon the side of the locking piece opposite to that in which the recess formed, a pin f and the projection f are provided. The said pin and projection pass through a slot 9 made in the cheek plate of the breech, the upper part of the said slot being suitably shaped to guide the projection and the lower part thereof being suitably shaped to allow of the movement of the pin ftherein, when the locking piece is moved up or down. Upon the outer end of the said pin is pivoted a thumb lever h. The said thumb lever is provided with a projection h upon which the thumb may bear and is also formed with a portion having a recess h to receive the aforesaid projection b from the breech bolt. That portion of the firing pin which isimmediately above the slot F in the under side of the breech bolt is recessed at 0 so that the hammer head, when the hammer is forced sharply forward by the main spring, upon the pulling of the trigger, may pass into the said re cess and strike the body of the firing pin at the forward end of the recess, driving the firing pin into the cartridge.

The form and arrangement of the hammer, the magazine and the means for retaining the same in place are similar to thelike parts described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4.

In Fig. 10, a too upon the locking piece K is substituted for the pawl L and is arranged to lie in the path ofthe portion n of the hammer and the thumb lever is slotted at 71.2 instead of being recessed; A spring at is fixed to the breech frame and bent at its end so asto bear against the stud H on the firing pin as the breech bolt is moved forward to close the breech.

The operation of the sporting gun shown in Figs. 1 to 4 will now be described. Let it be as,- sumed that the gun has been fired, that the parts of the mechanism are in the positions indicated in Fig. l and that the stock A of the weapon is grasped by the right hand and the block D by the left hand. If now the block D be moved toward the rear the link E will move with it, and the cam surface E thereof will act upon the projection J and depress the lever J causing the pin J to force the locking piece K downward from behind the breech bolt. During the first portion of the rearward movement of the block D, the pin E will slide toward the rear end of the slot F and the breech bolt F will not be af-- footed, and consequently n0 jamming of the breech bolt with the locking piece can occur, but a continuance of the said movement will bring the pin into contact with the rear end of the slot, and the locking piece being down, the breech bolt will be moved to the rear. In the rearward movement of the breech bolt the forward edge of the slot F acts upon the head of the hammer, bringing it below the breech bolt, against the under side of .leased by the ti' 1 i ange'ment of 4 iii) which it presses as the bolt slides over it. By the cooking of the hammer described a portion thereof presses back: the pawl L in the locking piece. The scar notch N the hammer is brought below the en pawl which is moved out-in rec. gage with the said notch. by the action o spring Iii. The hammer when cocked as d scribed is held farther back than it would be by the trigger. Qonscquently long the breech is open the trigger is not in engagement with the hammer but the latter is held back entirely by the aforesaid pawl. The ejection of the empty cartridge is effected dun ing: the rearward movement of the breech bolt and akes place when the breech bolt F has moved sullioiently to the rear to bring one edge of the cartridge riuiagainst the ejector stud the extractor continuing its moveinent e rear we 1 the breech bolt, draws one the dge r2211 farther to the rear than the opposite side of the rim which is stopped. by the stud. Thus the cartridge is smartly jerked out of the space between the breech bolt and the-end of the barrel. The parts upon the completion of the rearward. movement of the breech boltwill be in position indicated in Fig.4. Into the lower portion of the space left betweenv the front end of the said breech bolt F and the rear end of the barrel B the uppermost cartridge in the magazinc rises, when the breech bolt has moved sutiicieutlyfar to the rear to permit its doing so," the cartridge being still retained by the magazine. The said cartridge then occupies such a position in the said space. that a portion of its base is in the path of the breech. bolt F. The block I) is now returned to the forward end of the guide C drawing the breech bolt forward by means of the link E pin 1Q so hat it pushes the uppermost cartridge from the magazine, the said cartridge simultaneously rising so that its llill comes behind the extractor l carried. the breech bolt, the cartridge being finally forced home into the chamber and the breech closed. The locking pie-cc .li bears against be under side of the breech bolt and therefore cannot rise behind in until the breech bolt is right home and the breech completely closed. \Vhen the breech block in closing the breec brings the slot or notch F above the head of the cooked hammer the hammer does not at once rise thercinto, being prevented from moving long the locking piece is down, by the pawl L which is engaged with the sear notch N l'rhen the locking piece rises the pawl L with it and releases the hammer which is then held only by the trigger scar 0 and can be reh-lase'd by pulling the said triggor. When the pawl is raised and moves up with the locliiugpiece it is prevented by the side of the recess K from moving in the said recess and its end occupies a position in which the hammer will justpass clearof it when re- 7 By the use of this an locking piece and pawl the cocked. hammer is hold while the breech is open quite independently of the trigger, so hat discharge of the Weapon is prevented until the breech ii safely closed.

ii itll re ierence to the operation of the pistol illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 assuming; as in the previous that the weapon has just been discharged, the thumb lever 7t forced downward to remove the locking piece K from behind the breech bolt l by meansot thepinf upon which the said thumb lever turns and which iixed upon the loci;- ing piece. said. locking piece having ue thus been removed fr in behind thejbreecli bolt the thumb lever is turned updu the pin fand draws back the breech bolt by means of the pin or projection Z) LQQTl'lliG bolt, which pin is in engagement Witt the fl'eccss 6 in the said lever. in the rearu", d mov'cmentot th breech-piece the hammer cooked by ti.v forward edge of the slot F and when cocke-l is engaged by the L which with the loclting piece K constitutes a safety device operating similarly to that hereinbefore described with reference to the sporting gun. The breech. bolt is pushed back into place to close the breech by the thumb for which the rear end of the bolt is formed as a push phce. The said breech bolt in its return movement operates to insert a fresh cartridge in the breech in the same manner as the breech block of the sporting gun.

In the operation of the modified arrangement of breech mechanism illustrated in Fig. 10 depression of the locking piece K by the thumb rest It and thumb lever 71, simultaneously effects the partial cooking of the ham mer by means of the toe 7a which bears upon the portion n thereof so that the head of. the

hammer is moved outof contact wi h "be firing pin H and ashort distance away from the forward end of the slot l in t e under side of the. breech bolt. This movement of the hamruer partially compresses the main spring P acting through the anti-friction roller carried by the said hammer. The thumb lever is next turned about the pin f and n oves the breech bolt to the rear, bringing the inclined. surface a of the breech bolt into contact. with the hammer and forcing it back until the act of cocking is completed by the engagement of the hammer with the trigger s aar O, the

head of the hammer thou resting qgainst the under side of the breech bolt. '2 he toe 7a is always in the path of the portion it of the hammer while the locking" piece is lowered, so that until the breech is closed and the looking' piece raised, the hammer cannot assume the firing position. In 10, as in Figs. 5 to J, the spring (1 acting upon the stud ll keeps the iirinq pin back in the breech bolt so that its forward end docs nctoifer any obstacle to the rise of the uppermost cartridge from the magazine. In Fig. 10' the breech block is seen. to be partly withdrawn and the cartridge partially extracted I it should be particularly noted with refcrshoe to the pistol illustrated in Fig. that the initial compression of the mainspring P, the first part of the extraction of the spent cartridge during which practically the wholeof the force required to dislodge the cartridge is exerted and the final compression of the main spring are three distinct and successive operations effected during the movements of the thumb lever, as described and not occurring simultaneously. The extraction of the spent cartridge is effected by the thumb lever at a time when the breech bolt is performing no other operationthat is to say, at a time when the preliminary compression of the hammer spring is completed and the final 'compression not commencedu By this arrangement the force required to be exerted is considerably less than would be the case if the operations were simultaneous.

It is obvious that magazine pistols constructed as' hereinbefore described possess great advantages with regard to safety and' rapidity of fire.

If any of the weapons herein described are used as single-loaders, that is to say without a magazine, the cartridges are inserted by hand lever J pivoted to the breech frame and con-' nected with the locking piece and having a cam projection J adapted to engage with a recess E in the link E, substantially as described.

2. In a small arm provided with a sliding breech bolt the combination with the said breech bolt and the barrel of a hammer hav--' ing a sear notch N and a trigger notch N a transversely sliding locking piece K, and a spring actuated pawl L carried bythe said locking piece, and adapted to engage with the notch N as set forth.

3. In a small arm provided with a sliding breech bolt the combination with the said breech bolt and the barrel, of a hammer having a scar notch N and a trigger notch N a transversely sliding locking piece K and a spring actuated pawl L carried by the-said locking piece, and adapted to engage with the notch N the forward movement of the said pawl being limited by a stop in the sliding piece, as set forth.

A. The combination of the barrel B, the breech frame B, the breech bolt F slotted as at F and sliding in the breech frame, the firing pin and extractor carried by( the said breech bolt, the locking piece K sliding in the breech frame transversely in the direction of movement of the breech bolt, and carrying the pawl L, the hammer N having a notch N adapted to engage with the pawl L and the trigger notch N the block D sliding in guides upon the barrel, the link E secured to the block D and connected with the breech-bolt-, and the lever J connected with the lockingpiece and having a cam projection J 2 adapted to engage with a notch in thelinkD substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto singed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES STEWART LOTT.

Witnesses:

WM. JNo. TENNANT,

Southampton Buildings, London.

T. F. BARNES,

17 Gracechmch Street, London. 

